They will now encounter either a rematch with Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray in the last 16. Liverpool memorably triumphed over Atletico in November with the Spanish side's manager, Diego Simeone, receiving his marching orders. Either fixture offers Liverpool a pathway that could see them face Real Madrid, and former player Trent Alexander-Arnold, in the subsequent rounds. The fixture proved memorable for a remarkable collapse from Atletico manager Simeone that resulted in him being shown a red card. Following victory over Club Brugge to confirm Atletico's progression to the last-16, Simeone even insisted he is "not thinking about Liverpool".

Source: Express February 27, 2026 09:13 UTC